


Wake Up Call

by team_free_daryl



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 13:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17305718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/team_free_daryl/pseuds/team_free_daryl
Summary: Y/n finds herself seeking Daryl after a bad dream.





	Wake Up Call

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #45: “I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

You woke up with a jolt causing you to pant heavily and scan your room quickly to make sure no one is there. Once it's clear that you are safe and there is no threats around you bolt out of your cell and towards the other end of the block to where Daryl was staying. You ignored the cold concrete beneath you bare feet and the rapid beat of your heart, you just need to make sure he is okay. Pulling the curtain back you reveal a sleeping Daryl and you sigh in relief.   
Knowing that he is okay and alive you take a minute to collect yourself and watch his sleeping form. Standing there you take in how peaceful he looks in his sleep, like he doesn't have a worry in the world. ‘He's alive’ you remind yourself in attempt to push the gruesome images from your nightmare from your head. The whole thing shook you and you just couldn't seem to get rid of it.   
You stood there for another minute or so before turning to leave so you didn't seem like more of a stalker than you already were. As you went to let the curtain drop you heard a quiet voice break the silence, “What's the matter? Something going on?”  
You turn looking back into the cell to see a now half awake Daryl watching you waiting for you to answer him. Eventually you stutter out, “I um- I had a nightmare about you and I had to make sure you were okay. I didn't mean to wake you I'm sorry.”   
Daryl sits up and studies you for a minute before speaking again, “you had a nightmare about me? What happened that was so bad you had to check on me?”   
Now that you think about it you realize how silly it sounds and you're almost too embarrassed to even answer him so you quietly mumble, “nothing crazy just a typical nightmare, but your okay and that's all that matters. I'm just gonna go back to bed, I'm sorry for waking you up.”  
“Hey. Wait a minute,” his concerned voice calls out causing you to stop right in your tracks.  
“What?” You ask with your back to him making no move to turn around.  
“Why don't you stay here tonight, you seem like this nightmare really shook you up.”   
“I'm probably just overreacting,” you say in attempt to get him to drop it.   
You hear him shuffle around behind you for a minute before his hand is on your shoulder turning you to face him, “darlin you had a nightmare involving me and you can straight here to make sure I was okay in the middle of the night. I think there is more to this so you can either stay with me tonight or tell me what's going on.”   
His tone was so serious that you knew you had no choice but to answer so after a minute you shakily whispered, “it was just a nightmare about out run going wrong. I'm going to try and get some more sleep before we have to get up and go...you should too.”   
Daryl looks like he wants to say something else but he doesn't push the issue, instead he silently nods and turns back to his bed. Your thankful he accepted the vague explanation as you make your way your way back to your own bed as well.   
The next morning comes faster than you'd hoped and you slowly drag yourself to breakfast with the others once you're dressed. How Daryl would act after last night worried you. It worried you more than the runt at the moment and normally those are your main concern. You made your way to a seat with plate in hand and sat down silently. Paying no mind to those around you, you picked at your plate too wrapped up in your own head to see anything else. Until you felt someone sit beside you causing you to look up. Gazing beside you you eyes land on the man who's been occupying your mind forever.   
“This seat taken?” He asks quietly while motioning to the seat beside you.   
Every part of your brain was telling you to say yes but your mouth was speaking before you could stop yourself, “no you can sit there.”  
You turn back to your plate as he sits, not sure you could look him in the eye. Instead you trying to occupy yourself with the food in front of you so you don't have to talk. Daryl must have realized this because after a few minutes he sighs and pushes his own plate away, “can we talk?”   
“Can it wait until after the run?” You question as you attend with your dish.  
“No, it can't because we're uh...not going on the run,” Daryl admits standing as well.  
“And why is that?”   
“Because I knew you would try to get out of talking by using the run as an excuse,” he says before letting out an annoyed sigh.   
“Maggie and Glenn are going instead. We're on watch in ten,” he throws in over his shoulder before walking out the door.  
You suck in a deep breath to prepare yourself before making your way to the guard tower. Towards Daryl and the conversation that would change everything. The whole walk you went over scenario after scenario trying to figure out what he could want to talk about.   
You climbed the latter as if it was second nature before walking over to where Daryl sat. After a moment of silence you sat beside him, but still said nothing.  
Minutes passed like that but you weren't going to complain. You didn't even want to talk about the previous night whatsoever. So instead you sat leaned against the railing in silence while trying to will your mind to stop. No matter what the scenarios were still repeating themselves.   
“Want to tell me why your dream bothered you so much you came to my room in the middle of the night?” Daryl asks finally breaking the silence.  
“I just-” you begin before pausing to try and find the right words, “We seem to be losing more people every time I turn around and sometimes I have nightmares about them dying. When I had one about you I had to make sure it was really a dream. I didn't think I'd wake you or that you would ever know it happened.”   
“Why?” He asked vaguely but you knew what he meant.  
“Because I care about you.”   
“You care about everyone in the group,” Daryl interjects.  
“I care about them like they're my family but I care about you a different way. More,” you whisper unable to look at him.  
Daryl doesn't say anything back, instead he grips on of your hands in his and looks ahead. You both sit like that until it is time to switch watch. Neither of you made an attempt to speak about the conversation and you were beginning to think it was water under the bridge.  
As you both began making your way back to make you way to the prison Daryl gripped your hand and whispered, “I care about you more than family too.”


End file.
